Holiday Travel Pet Safety

When making your holiday travel arrangements for the Holidays, make sure not to forget about Fido! As pet parents ourselves, here at 4Paws Insurance, we understand how difficult the idea of leaving your pets behind for the holidays can be. Here are some important tips you should remember whether you plan on bringing your pets with you, leaving them at home with a pet sitter, or boarding them in a kennel!

Where are you staying?
Before visiting family or friends and staying in their home, make sure to check with them first before bringing your pet along. This way both your host and your pets can be happy and comfortable during the holiday season! If you are staying in a hotel, be sure to book one that is pet friendly, and will best accommodate you and your 4-legged friends.
Boarding your Pet
In the case that you cannot bring your dog along with you to visit family or friends, you can consider putting them up in a kennel. Before doing so, know that this takes a lot of planning. There are vaccinations that many kennels require your dog to have before they are boarded, so be sure to check with them first to ensure your pet is up to date on all their health requirements. You can read more about getting your dog vaccinated for kennels here. Also, some kennels even require a “test” day or night where the dog stays with them to become more comfortable before letting them stay for an extended visit. If you decide to go the kennel route, you will certainly need to start preparing now. It is important to keep in mind that kennels can get booked up; just as human hotels do, so start researching now and lock in a spot before it’s too late.

Pet Sitter
If you cannot bring your pet along with you or if you have cats that can be left at home, you can also hire a pet sitter. Much like a baby sitter, pet sitters stop by as often as you like, for however long you would like, when you are out of town to walk, play with, and feed your pets. If you decide to hire a pet sitter, make sure to write down any instructions regarding your pet’s food, medications, walks, etc. so they always have it on hand and provide a list of emergency phone numbers so that they can reach both you and your vet in case of an emergency.
Road trips
If you are traveling by car for Thanksgiving or Christmas this year, plan to take extra stops if you are bringing your dog and it is a long ride. Fido will need to take bathroom breaks and stretch his legs just like you do, so plan to stop as needed at rest stops with pet friendly areas. In addition, always keep water and a water bowl on hand, so your pet can stay hydrated and happy while on the road. It is also important to keep your pet safe with the right harness or pet barrier, you can read more about other car safety tips for dogs here.

Great food, great friends, and coming together with family makes the holiday season one of the best times of the year. This holiday season, plan ahead and make arrangements for your pets, to ensure that they can enjoy a happy and healthy holiday. Whether they stay at a hotel, kennel, or even at home 4Paws Insurance wants to help protect your pet this holiday season. Give your furry friend the best gift of all – Pet healthcare coverage, by requesting a quote today!

4Paws pet health insurance policies are underwritten by Arch Insurance Company (a Missouri corporation NAIC # 11150), which is one of the member companies of Arch Insurance Group in North America. The information contained in this website is for illustrative purposes only and coverage under any pet health insurance policy underwritten by Arch is expressly subject to the conditions, restrictions, limitations, exclusions and terms of the policy. Availability of this program is subject to each state's approval and coverage may vary by state. Not all insurance coverages or products are available in all jurisdictions. Availability of coverage is subject to eligibility requirements.